


you're good at being perfect, we're good at being troubled.

by luxuryproblems



Category: Arrested Development
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Smoking, Trans Male Character, magicians are gay. they're all gay.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 08:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxuryproblems/pseuds/luxuryproblems
Summary: Tony gets Gob his first binder. Gob doesn't know how to put it on exactly. Tony helps him.





	you're good at being perfect, we're good at being troubled.

**Author's Note:**

> im sad, trans, and gay. change my mind. ej this is for u so u dont have to be the only person writing trans gob anymore. also the ending is god awful but wow i love tony and gob (:
> 
> title from ifhy by tyler, the creator

"Does it fit?"

There's a quiet voice coming from the doorway, and when Gob turns around, somewhat frightened, he visibly relaxes at the slight of Tony. His head pokes through the door, his body still covered as he waits for permission from Gob to come in. Gob gestures his head inwards and Tony comes in, both hands in the pockets of his ill-fitting dark purple hoodie that he got from a local thrift shop. Gob's standing by the mirror, shirt and jeans on, with a piece of cloth that somewhat resembles a crop top.

Gob shrugs, body stiff with nerves. "Haven't put it on yet," he says, fingers running over the binder in his hands. His voice is strong, yet somewhat shaky and almost ready to break. 

"Oh, okay," Tony smiles at Gob, then sits on the bottom bunk of Gob's dorm, "I get to be the first to see you in it, then." 

Gob's body relaxes again, and he lets out a nervous little chuckle. He takes the hem of the collar of his shirt and Tony turns his head out of respect for Gob, and Gob discards his t-shirt onto the floor. It's a struggle for Gob to get the binder on for the first time, a bit of stumbling and murmurs of "fuck," but after a few minutes of struggle, Gob gives a breathy laugh. "A little help, please?" Gob mutters, a little embarrassed, but still laughing. 

Tony gets up hesitantly, and makes his way across the short area of rug and hardwood floor that all of a sudden feels like a thousand miles. Gob still has his back to Tony, and Tony puts one hand gently on Gob's waist to inform him that he's there. "Ready? I'm just gonna yank it hard." Gob gives a small chuckle at the mild innuendo, and then Tony's hands are at the bottom of the binder, pulling down hard. 

It's tight, is Gob's first thought. His second thought is, but not uncomfortably tight. "God, I hope it's normal for it to be that difficult to put on," Tony says, half serious and half joking. Gob barely hears him from how invested he is in his own mind. He's facing the mirror now, and he rotates from the side to the front and then back to the side. He's not sure why he doesn't look completely flat in just this. 

Gob pushes past Tony a little bit, more invested in this moment then he's ever been in his entire life. He picks the discarded, stained tie-dyed shirt off the floor and pulls it over his head. His facial expression is unreadable. 

"Do you like it? I can get you a new size if you don't like the fit-"

Tony's nervous babbling is cut off by Gob throwing his arms around him, holding him tightly. Tony can't see it or tell yet, but Gob is crying. It's the first time in years he's looked into a mirror and truly seen who he wants to be, who he is. "Thank you." Gob's voice is soft and scratchy. He's trying to hide that he's been crying. Tony knows, but he doesn't say anything. 

He wants Gob to have this moment. 

Gob repeats "thank you" like a mantra until Tony is basically crying too. They break apart slowly, and Tony takes Gob's hands and pulls him down a little to meet him in a kiss. They're both laughing and smiling and Gob is still crying and Tony's heart is so overwhelmed with love and support for his boyfriend. Tony wipes Gob's happy tears off his face, and Gob presses into Tony's hand, whispering, "How can I ever repay you?"

Tony doesn't have a shitload of money, Gob knows this. He's got enough for school and enough to survive. Tony went out of his way to buy Gob this binder, possibly throwing whatever money he had that week into it, and Gob cannot thank him enough. He remembers how Tony showed up immediately after the mail came with a box wrapped in pink and light blue and white tissue paper, and Tony presented it immediately with a smile. How could he forget? It was yesterday, for Christ's sake. 

Gob grabbed Tony's face and kissed him hard for three minutes after taking the binder out of the box. He's surprised he didn't cry then. 

An hour later, Gob is laying on the bottom bunk, t-shirt off and head in Tony's lap. They're sharing a cigarette and Tony, for the first time, has his hand on Gob's chest. Gob has one hand around Tony's wrist keeping it situated on his chest, keeping it where he wants it, and the other reaching for the cigarette. Gob's got his lips around the cigarette when the doorknob jiggles, and both Tony and Gob's heads jerk to the side to look at it. Michael walks in.

Of all the few times Michael ever comes into the dorm before midnight, it has to be now.

"Do you guys have to smoke in here?" Michael asks. There's a girl's voice on the other side of the door, then Michael pokes back out and mutters something like "I'll meet you later," and then walks back in. 

Gob doesn't look up, holds the smoke in the back of his mouth, and mutters, "Do you always have to bring girls back here?" 

"No, but it's my dorm as well, and there's no policy against it."

Tony flips Michael off as he slings his messenger bag off of his shoulder and onto the floor. He looks at Tony, follows his arm down onto Gob's chest and notices the binder on Gob's chest. "Nice, uh," Michael doesn't know what it's called, and motions to his own chest, "crop top." Michael tries to be nice, because he supports Gob in his transition, but doesn't know how to phrase himself. 

"Thanks." Gob says and passes the cigarette back to Tony, "It makes my chest smaller."

"Dope. If you're gonna smoke, please get out." Back to real Michael. Rule following, annoying, stupid Michael. 

Tony takes Gob's hand and they push past Michael out of the dorm, and turn around to watch Michael immediately invite a girl in. Gob breaks out laughing, then goes back in to retrieve a t-shirt. Tony stands outside, hunched over laughing for absolutely no reason.


End file.
